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Great Escape

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Thailand's Phuket might seem to be oneof the busiest tourist places in Southeast Asia. But there's one place that proves it all wrong.  Meet Indigo Pearl, a lovely peaceful resort, just one short flight away…

The van is waiting for us at the airport. Families, backpackers and all sorts of tourists are trying to find their way to one of the many destinations in Phuket. It could be the busy Patong district or any other beach to the south. But not many are going in our direction, towards a well-kept secret just around the corner.
 
We flew here directly from Hong Kong, on one of the many daily Thai Airways flights that connects the island to Macau’s neighbour city. Our final destination, Indigo Pearl Beach Resort, is just a 20-minute ride away from Phuket’s airport, far enough away not to be disturbed by planes overhead.
 
Well integrated into the nature on Phuket’s northern shore, set against a backdrop of lush rainforest and just a step away from the ocean, this resort is quite a different alternative for holidays in Thailand. Serenity is the key word around here. 
 
 
“The outstanding design has to be a highlight as far as experiences are concerned with the unique contemporary, industrial look”, says Indigo Pearl’s General Manager Chris Oakes.
 
Indigo Pearl was totally designed by Bill Bensley, a top Bangkok-based American architect also responsible for St Regis Resort Bali, the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle and the Leela Palace Kempinski at Udaipur, just to name a few.
 
After checking in, it’s time to get to know my room, in of the 33 D-Buk Suites Indigo Pearl has to offer. There are also 35 Pool Pavilions, seven Pearl Shells, a few Signature Suites and eight impressive Private Pool Villas.
Indigo Pearl is a huge property – guests are even given a map to find their way around – but that’s exactly what makes it worth it. There are no crowds, no noise, nothing you could immediately associate with mass tourism.
 
The standard suits are spacious and well decorated. There are two balconies facing the luxurious gardens and one of the three swimming pools. The wooden design furniture is classy and the walls are covered with paintings.
 
The whole property’s design is based on industrial minimalism, set in black and gray, with bold lighting and sleek polished metal. Tin metal is basically everywhere and there’s a good explanation for that. Tin was discovered in central Phuket hundreds of years ago, quickly becoming an integral part of the island’s commerce and trade. As a tribute to his family, connected to tin mining in the region, Wichit Na-Ranong, owner and managing director of Indigo Pearl, used tin mining as a unique and personal source of inspiration in the creation of the resort.
 
The result, after Bill Bensley’s creative intervention, is a world-class resort, which attracts visitors from all over, but with a focus on Asian tourists. 
 
“Asia in general is very important, with Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok being prominent. Europe and Australasia are also strong patrons of the property”, GM Chris Oakes says.
 
Everything to offer
Indigo Pear has three swimming pools, a Coqoon Spa offering different kinds of treatments, and a number of lounges and restaurants, with fine dining Rivet and signature Thai restaurant Black Ginger being the highlights. There is also a beach club, a kids club, tennis courts and a fitness centre.
 
The resort is constantly merging historic details and surreal twists. The spa features six deluxe treatment rooms but the piéce de rèsistance is the treetop coqoon, called The Nest. It’s a luxurious spa suite suspended amongst the banyan trees, surrounded by silvery-blue palms and fragrant plumbago. 
 
After a relaxing massage, one can choose to dine at Rivet restaurant, where American Chef Jak Yoss has a lot to offer, from modern grill concepts to fresh seafood with an Asian twist.
 
 
 
Black Ginger is the other much-recommended option for dining inside the resort. This signature restaurant offers authentic Phuket specialties such as fresh seafood, tender grilled cuts and battered cha-plu. Other unique Thai dishes are also available, including crispy fried shrimp and battered cha-plu leaves drizzled with sweet chilli sauce, ‘roll your own’ spring rolls served with juicy crab and tender pork, chilli purée, coriander and fresh vegetables with sweet tamarind sauce wrapped in a rice-flour pancake, or southern-style yellow fish curry and an assortment of local vegetables.
 
But what really impresses about Black Ginger is the venue. To get to the restaurant you have to use a floating platform that takes you there along a small lake. Black Ginger is surrounded by water and, at night-time, walking into the place is like going back in time. 
 
It’s Friday, and every Friday the Thai cuisine is displayed in several locations within the restaurant, each station with an individual chef to recommend and cook their own Phuket specialties. Ladies sit on the floor, preparing all the traditional dishes and ready to serve guests. 
 
It’s getting late and the silence is wonderful. There are a few places to go for drinks inside Indigo, like Underground Café and Dirty Monstera, but I decide to enjoy the quietness of the place instead.
 
Learning something new
“Unique experiences are available that allow you to tailor your stay to your own personality. The approach is to see deeper into the special experiences that are available in Thailand so that unique memories are taken back by our guests”, explains Chris Oakes. 
 
I’m about to understand what he’s talking about with a Thai cooking class at Moo’s Kitchen, where’ I learn how to cook Thai salad, Phuket style noodles and fried banana. At the end, not only can I eat what I’ve just cooked, but I’m also entitled to a diploma with a photo, certifying all my brand new cooking skills. 
 
It may sound strange, having stayed on an island in Thailand, that I haven’t mentioned the beach yet. That’s something else you learn when you visit Indigo: the beach is just around the corner, but you’ll probably find yourself not wanting to leave the property that often.
 
If you do, as I did, there’s a uncrowded, laidback seashore just on the other side of a little dirt road. With a few restaurants and bars, the beach is certainly not the most amazing you can find in Phuket, but it is quite pleasant and the water still has a temperature that makes people want to keep on coming back to Thailand for a swim.
 
The weekend is coming to an end and I’m leaving with the conviction that if I’m looking for a place to relax by myself, with my partner or with my family, Indigo Pearl is definitely the place to go. If on the other hand, I want to party hard, I won’t come here. There’s no point misusing such a well-kept secret.
 
Indigo Pearl and Thai Airways invited Macau CLOSER for this media trip.

 

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